The Magpie

When old Sir Wally Scott waxed lyrical about ’Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive’, he didn’t know the half of it … because back then, Townsville didn’t exist. Last week’s bit of tittle tattle about a prominent citizen who was chucked out of home be cause he used his cock as his compass was just the – err – tip of the iceberg. The Magpie won’t tell all, but certainly will tell some.

Jenna Cairney keeps pushing the fairytale that her fearless ‘campaigning’ journalists (oh, purleeese) will ask the tough questions to which we want answers. Well, dear, we have a few for you to ask … and a couple to answer yourself.

And damned if they do, and certainly damned if they don’t … an indigenous stirrer’s Catch 22 call for government accountability in the deaths of two young children.

Also, on the lighter side, if brevity is the soul of wit, there is a single picture that sums up Britain at this moment … plus our regular Trump gallery.

But first …

We’re off and running, declared or not. The Federal pestilence of political populism has descended on we sheeple like the fabled wolf on the fold, and the only bright spot is that it will be a relatively short campaign. There will be plenty of pollies and commentators vying for The Magpie’s coveted Codswallop Cup, a field far too big to try to cover comprehensively, but so far, the leading contender is the Courier Mail, who gave us this post-Budget front page.

Subtle as a grenade in a bowl of porridge. Any News Corpse claim to be a neutral observer of the current political Haranguer Games is now officially dead in the water. The front page was so blatant that many Courier staff were on the point of revolt, as it reflected on their credibility. But it seems they realised that that particular stable door had been swinging in the wind for some time now, so they dropped plans for any futile reaction.

But there’ll be plenty more codswallop to be had in the coming weeks, so The ‘Pie will content himself with this illustrated observation.

And on overseas politics, the cleverest comment on the turmoil in British politics was the briefest.

(Bentley is on a couple of weeks leave, travelling the world to parts unknown.)

What A Wanker … Well, He Probably Is Now

Many in the health industry world are fond of saying just prior to injecting something into you that ‘Don’t worry, you’ll just feel a little prick.’ Boy, has that been an understatement in this town in recent times.

You may recall last week’s report that a bloke often referred to in the Astonisher as a ‘leading citizen’, had been turfed out of the home for getting one of his staff to feel a little prick after hours. That’s not entirely correct apparently.

Well, after that piece, The ’Pie’s email in-box went into near-meltdown. It seems our man is a serial pantsman, and it was open knowledge among the Nescafe Society of Townsville and particularly his blokey-jokey mates among the Gilded Few that he would – in the words of the late Mongrel the Barrister – ‘root a hole in a barber shop floor because it had hair around it.’ (That old Aussie saying was coined long before the Brazilian.)

The ‘Pie’s subsequent info is that our bloke dipped his wick once too often, and injudiciously to say the least, said respondent being married to a martial arts bod. This local Bruce Lee took a dim view of these goings on, and eloquently conveyed his point of view to said bloke using both hands and feet … the message was blunt enough to put our philanderer in hospital for a couple of days.

Finally enough was enough for the missus, and ordered him to leave the domestic hearth.

But wait, there’s more … those in the couple’s social circle started taking sides, not against him, but either for or against the wronged wife or the latest bonkee, who was apparently forgiven by her hubby after his cathartic work-out. Now, the fallout is perhaps not to be fully detailed here, but an outline involves crude stick-figure graffiti with names attached being posted in a prominent area frequented by all sides, email threats of legal action for defacing a workplace, and the implied threat to the graffiti artist’s employment, by having her charged by police for alleged ‘harassment’ if she didn’t cease and desist.

As the saying goes, all fun and games until someone loses an eye. The ‘Pie is aware that there is a very serious side to all this, nothing to do with moralising …there are the family’s children involved who have been affected and The ‘Pie knows from his own young experience that kids are the first casualties in this sort of thing So he has purposely kept this ‘tangled web’ as non-specific as possible. (And children DO NOT read this blog.)

But the matter has been broached because of the philanderer’s hypocrisy, since he has, apart from anything else, publicly held himself up … sometimes for business purposes … to be a church-going Christian family man.

What a tosswomble.

The Chooks Are Coming Home To Roost – The Bulletin Iditor Can’t Walk From This, Whistling And Polishing Her Halo.

This is definitely a new policy, yet to be tested, so let’s just recap.

While myriad voices were raised, not with opposition but genuine and reasonable queries about building the stadium at all, not a single question was answered or the whole thing probed beyond glib and cursory off-hand lip service (and Townsville First doesn’t get out of this issue without some responsibility, with a dismal jellyback roll-over to the town’s power elite when they had the council majority … can’t blame Mayor Mullet for that, you folk).

But when the stadium became fact, even opponents like The ‘Pie himself, came to accept the fact that it was going to be built, and so supported all efforts to move on with construction. But not without airing realistic concerns, first mentioned here more than two years ago, about the Labor Government project being a battleground for Palaszczuk v Trad and subsequent union skullduggery.

Where were there tough-questioning journalists then, Jenna? – Even if you weren’t here yourself , your risible self-serving mewlings suggest that tough-questioning has been Bulletin policy all along – well, m’dear, that actually died when editor Mick Carroll left more than a decade ago. All you’ve done with the above story was first quote unions, and a day or more later, print the rebuttal.

And where have your questions and promised investigations on this brief story you churned out during the week.

And even as late as two weeks ago, where were the tough questions instead of the blatant and provable lies from that the Cowboys needed money for a training facility or go under as a club? Was it a lack of wit or a lack of will to ask the bleedin’ obvious – how would a money–draining extra Cowboys training facility save the club from financial disaster, even if such a fabrication were true? Where was the challenge and tough questioning as to what was a nonsensical, financially laughable argument? Certainly nowhere in the pages of your rag, m’dear, you just blithely printed the stuff fed to you by one of the town’s major string pullers. What a spineless reaction that was, instead of making the common sense call for any more money from the Feds be directed towards a money-making, job-creating, tourist-attracting, business-enhancing entertainment and convention centre. Which, but for selfish, vested interests, was the complete package we expected would have been fought for in the first place. History will not look kindly on The Bulletin’s performance, or that of the interests of the Gilded Few.

And the Chamber of Commerce should hang its head in shame, too, for its feeble, hopelessly naive and selfishness on this overall issue. Forever braying on about ‘only ever representing the interests of its members’ – one would imagine said interests include strong opinions and inquiries about the wisdom and veracity of decisions made affecting their members interests. Your silence for fear of offending a vindictive mayor prompts The ‘Pie to ask; how’s that working out for the interests of your members, eh? Hope your happy with a few new bus shelters and another eat/drink laneway, because that’s about all it seems your members are going to get out of the council’s busted-arse ‘vision’.

But back to the paper. The effect of this publication’s abrogation of traditional and democratic responsibility to challenge the disaster which is present-day Townsville cannot be over-stated. An example: during the week, we get the slap-in-the-face iditorial, which must win the brown-nose award of the year, when you cautiously venture “ Management of the airport wouldn’t take umbrage with us saying the last couple of years haven’t been the best.”

WTF would you care if the airport management took umbrage at what the paper had to say? PAPERS ARE THERE FOR SOME PARTIES TO TAKE UMBRAGE, THAT’S THE POINT OF – AS YOU SO FALSELY CLAIM YOU DO – ASKING THE TOUGH QUESTIONS READERS WANT ANSWERED.

But no, in your usual mimsy, tip-toeing style of an angry newt trying to gum its opponents into submission, you unwisely and damagingly (for Townsville) take on Qantas yet again with the totally incorrect statement: ‘But when it came to funding (the unilaterally declared airport upgrade) national carrier Qantas dug in its heels, leaving the redevelopment in limbo and souring the relationship with the airport.’ The airline didn’t ‘dig in its heels’, it simply told QAL to fuck off.Where were the tough simple questions from the paper about why the deal wasn’t settled with the airlines BEFORE the announcement? Why did you mute many questioners about the QAL attempt to line its own pockets with a tax on the Townsville travelling public? Not a dickey bird about that or the arrogance of QAL to think by announcing the over-blown upgrade, Qantas would be blackmailed into agreeing to a ticket tax.! No one wanted you to take sides, just report both sides of the story. Was it because you hubristically believed that the Bulletin is so powerful it would sway the airline by turning public opinion against the airline? Were you that mad, that incompetent, that out of touch with reality?

But the disgrace that you perpetrate, Jenna, exemplified by the above, is that of the Bulletin wanting to be a player under the guise of ‘a proudly campaigning paper’, rather than first and foremost being an observer and non-aligned reporter. The damage done by The Bulletin to the democratic governance of Townsville cannot be over-estimated, since you have little or no real interest in the future of this city.

The sad truth is the Townsville Bulletin’s performance has gone from empty boastfulness to exhibitionism, and is Townsville’s equivalent of one of those zoo chimps, probably driven made by the irrelevance of its existence, who furiously masturbate in front of its audience.

Heroin And Cocaine Are Bad Enough, But Math Heads Are The Worst

Something doesn’t add up with ad in an American newspaper.

Worthy of the Townsville Bulletin. But here’s something else that does add UP … somehow.

Quick Observation

Anyone noticed that the acronym AOBH – Assault Occasioning Bodily Harm … is also the acronym for the growing cries out in Townsville suburbs about our next council election … Any One But Hill?

Be-Diddly-Diddly-Dum-Boop-Oopy-Doo

Remember when vogueing was in vogue? The term originated when repressed black gays in New York invented a dance craze that consisted of a series of lightening quick moves striking the impossibly camp poses of fashion models in Vogue magazine. In 1990, Madonna’s song ‘Vogue’, (which to The ‘Pie looked suspiciously like a pisstake) helped make her a gay icon.

The term enjoyed some general social popularity a few years back until it fell by the wayside, but as is the way with Queensland, it seems the tradition is alive and well in this neck of the woods.

We are now all used to Little Patty O’Callaghan vogueing about the place for the Bulletin’s cameras, wittering on to her pals about the shoes and clothes she bought during ratepayer funded trips to Asia. But The ‘Pie was not prepared to see that our pollies are into it , too. The champion at this vogueing is the winsome Kate Jones, Innovation Minister for Queensland (how’s that gig going for you, Kate?)

That is as it may be, but closer to home, today we open up the Bulletin property section (chock-a-block this week thanks to the 66% price reduction) and our jaw dropped when we copped this.

One knee coyly hiding behind the other in a pigeon-toed Marilyn Monroe boop-oopy-doo tease, come hither hand on thigh and alluring (in theory) half turn of the torso. One immediately wonders just what exactly our Glenda was flogging.

Even our beloved mayor is a fan of the half-turn to camera to enhance an irresistible come hither smile, which could grace any New York or Milan catwalk..

And each and every one of the them just want to be loved by the masses. Indeed, their common theme song is ‘I Just Wanna Be Loved By You’, as Marilyn Monroe crooned in Some Like It Hot … here’s a clip to remind you, and it has some for everyone, including for aspiring drag queens.

Catch 22 of the Day

Blatant self-promoter Gracelyn Smallwood was having her little joke in the Astonisher today.

The paper quotes her thus:

Prof Smallwood said she was not defending (the drowned children’s mother) Eatts but flagged concerns around the role Department of Child Safety had to play in ensuring the welfare of Barak and Jhulio.

She demanded an investigation be held into how many times child safety officers had visited the Brett St, Cranbrook home to check on the brothers, particularly if there had been allegations of domestic violence in the home and if allegations of neglect had been flagged with the department.

Fair enough, Gracelyn and hope the term ‘fair’ doesn’t prompt one of your foaming rants about whitey devils and cultural imperialism and so on … and on … and on. The ‘Pie has heard enough of them from you in his time. (He particularly remembers the time in the Townsville District Court when a jury found an indigenous man guilty of raping an indigenous woman and you yelled from the public gallery ‘fucking white man’s justice’. Turns out this bit statesman-like commentary was because the accused man was one of your mob (we’re not allowed to use the word ‘tribe’ apparently). And the woman was not.

But your divisive background in this arena begs the question regarding your otherwise reasonable demand for an investigation. If child safety officers HAD made the appropriate visits and concluded that the children should be removed for their own safety … how many nano-seconds would it have taken you to start raising the roof about ‘another stolen generation’ and ‘bureaucrats snatching our kids’, white interventionist policies, and so on … and on … and on.

You also said in the paper today there was a ‘lot of anger and outrage on Facebook’ questioning the $25,000 donated by sympathetic people, and you rightly explained that the money was never for the family, but to repatriate the boys bodies back to Darwin. You said you chose that those donations should be channeled through the indigenous housing organization Yumba Meta, because ‘of their credibility in accounting’. (Seems you have some sort descending scale of financial probity of other local indigenous organisations – very wise of you) So we can expect you will waste no time in making public the full documentation of what happened to the money. Be assured, since you are always demanding respect for the folks you claim to represent, you will gain great credibility if you do so … as any other organization would under similar circumstances. In fact, would be required do so by law.

But a bright spot in all this. In your call for calm, you say:’ “I’m asking people to just wait until the courts tell us further information in the next six weeks on the outcomes of all the evidence.” It is nice to see that you have come around to putting some trust in the Australian judicial system … it’s far perfect, but it is the one we ALL have to operate under.

The Week In Trumpistan

Setting the tone for this Era of the Maniac, , The ‘Pie loved this effort from the New Yorker.

‘Remember when we drank coffee when we read the paper?’

The ‘Pie cannot bring himself to talk about the Angry Carrot’s claim this week that ‘wind causes cancer’ … some readers will take the old bird to task for being ‘obsessed’ with the single most dangerously deranged person in the planet, so he will say nothing.

A lot of focus has been on the Democrats, and their field of candidates bigger than a Melbourne Cup starting line-up.

And Finally, Why Does The Magpie Feel This Sums Up His Weekly Blog?

…………

That’s another week down the gurgler of life, don’t forget to send in abusive comments about The ‘Pie into the blog comments section, you can chuck your grenades 24/7. And if you have enjoyed this week’s load of old cattle plops, a donation to help the blog along will always be appreciated, the how to donate button is below (it’s really easy … truly.)

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The Magpie's Nest is now more than five years old, and remains an independent alternative voice for Townsville. The weekly warble is a labour of love and takes a lot of time to put together. So if you like your weekly load of old cobblers, you can help keep it aloft with a donation, or even a regular voluntary subscription. Paypal is at the ready, it's as easy as ... well, easy as pie. Limited advertising space is also available.

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174 Comments

Announcement of the Proposed Billion $ equestrian centre by Landmark Projects ( RH Group HQ Malaysia, Hong Kong) at Toolakea Beach certainly has scale with proposed 240,000 visitors a year ( bigger than population of Townsville) and 3,750 full time operational jobs . Is a portion of the bil $ accomodation/ entertainment because where would 20,000 people a month stay ?. The Tin Foil hats at TRRA have already started their racist campaign regarding foreign ownership and their blog is amusing as it’s always “ we at TRRA “when in fact it seems to be one author . TRRA seem to be in a time capsule as I thought “ reds under the bed” was in the 60,s .

Peter Newey must have almost had a stroke when he read that story … which, bumptious as it may sound … The ‘Pie has detailed in this blog more than once over the past couple of years. It’s always great sport to see the Bulletin playing catch-up. Pete’s xenophobia is fuelled by two factors … the Tiong family’s heinous behaviour in Asian countries regarding environmental and social damage regarding their palm oil plantations – Pete predicts they will wreak similar havoc here, but the countries he speaks of totally corrupt ‘democracies’ and don’t have any Greens, they’ve all been eaten. The other is his easy manipulation by vested property interests and snake oil salesmen with an eye to a quick quid.

And you dont think our current local and state governments are not corrupt.
This country needs a Fitzgerald type enquiry on ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT to get rid of blatant corruption within all levels of Government.

Maybe Pie, but the situation I think, is a bit like the house in Ayr that used to be left wide open with a sign on it….. “This House is protected by Poverty”.
Is this right Pete? we demand an answer!! Please answer the allegation! (Yeah, Plenty O’tool here as well Plucker.)

Interesting to see Ms Navarro leaving the Enema Legal fold and hanging her own shingle only days before this became public. More interesting that she still seems to represent TCC despite the contract being with her “previous” employer – perhaps adding an air-gap between TCC-Enema-Tiong.

Having worked around international developers (and remembering one incident in which a cased up group came to town and bluntly asked who they had to pay off and how much it would cost) we need to be careful laying our own cultural mores on others.

The use of the term ‘enemy’ is an interesting one, and your assertions don’t satisfy some obvious questions. Like, if we’re dealing with a company with the caboodle that the Tiong mob have, why risk getting in strife with the law. They are well aware that whatever the Tiong conglomerate does elsewhere, corruption and graft in Australia has to be and is much less blatant … even subtle and hidden under a mountain of red tape. But instead of bribes and encouragement to illegal activities by third parties, why wouldn’t the Tiong’s just direct that shitload of money towards making landholders monetary inducements, a sort of legal ‘offer they can’t refuse’ over market norms. The other thing to remember is that we are out business banjo territory up there, and there are plenty of homegrown, too-clever-by-half ethical knuckle-draggers involved in property deals and manoeuverings, many of which, despite Peter Newey’s dark suspicions, may not be connected by the Tiongs. In fact, a lot of whispers in his ear, whispers he uses as a basis to rush to the keyboard, comes from a highly questionable self-interested real estate source.

Here’s a start for any one with access to RP Data out there. Sandra Richards recently agreed to sell up, after years on intimidations and harassment. Son Cameron Richards, who was only too happy to yell from the rooftops about these despicable actions, both in this blog and elsewhere, is suddenly coy about the purchaser. One would think Mr Newey would’ve been on to this lickety split when he learnt of the sale (Cameron is a mate of his) over a year ago. One wonders if his silence on this particular matter means that the sale doesn’t fit his dot joining exercise of some sort of dastardly yellow-peril global conspiracy.

TMostly CE.
G’day Pete or is it Cameron, please don’t tell me there are more than 2 cuckoos in that nest. My sympathy is with fellow residents and ratepayers that are being dragged into this shit by your inuendo. You have it so, so wrong. The big players can look after themselves.

Christ, Smallwood still at it, we hold their hands and wipe their noses, we are abused, we forget to, we are abused. I shall refrain from expressing my view of this expert taxpayer sponge as it is unprintable, god knows how she has got away with what she’s been up to for years.

It’s a bit like your punnie pseudonym Plucker.
This comment relates to two of Pie’s stories and a pun on the defn. of a tool, a local pollie and a bloke with an OBE (One Big Ego)
Tool:
-one who is used or manipulated by another
-a foolish or unlikeable person
-a handheld device that aids in accomplishing a task
or more plainly, a penis
Nup, not thinking James Bond at all, nup, no way….

I’m a bit surprised at your allegation of hypocrisy concerning Phil Anderer. It has been de rigeur for a good millennium or more for those celebrating the Lord & those worshipping to be putting it about whenever the opportunity arises. I need only refer to the notorius Cardinal who skipped out of his processional for a bit of hokey pokey with a brace of choirboys.
And concerning the President, he was talking of flatulence, a topic of which I’m sure you are most familiar. Cancer would definitely be a potential outcome if you were stuck in the Oval Office with the Donald after consumption of a McDonalds or 10.

The Cowboys stadium is already a white elephant, regardless of whether it is built on time for the team to use in 2020.
When it was announced the stadium would have a capacity of 25,000 there was a chorus of claims that it wasn’t big enough.
But in the post-Johnathan Thurston era, reality is starting to set in that the stadium will be far too big for its prime (many say only) purpose – rugby league football.
At last night’s game against the Canberra Raiders less than 12,000 fans showed up.
Given the Cowboys crowd counting procedure (count the heads and multiply by whatever factor you think the public will swallow) my estimate is around 10,000, based on the wide open spaces on the grassy mounds and the empty seats in the stands.
Of real concern is that after what is looming as a wooden spoon season crowd numbers could be even lower by the time 2020 comes around.
It was always going to be an impossible task to replace Thurston, one of the true legends of the game. But the Cowboys haven’t lost just their game winner, they’ve lost their inspirational leader as well.
Michael Morgan is a good player and a great bloke, but he is no leader. The look on his face last night as the Raiders put the Cows to the sword, said it all.
The real problem, however, is recruiting. The bloke responsible for deciding who comes and who goes has been dining out on the Thurston recruitment for years.
But now JT has retired the poor decisions he has made over the past few years are becoming apparent.
How the hell, for example, did he let Ponga go? And how did we end up with the worst backline in the competition?
If the club is to survive and the stadium is to be used to its potential, heads have to roll – and not just on the playing field.

Have to agree, The ‘Pie has been putting forward that argument from the start … the clever manipulation of JT’s genius for selfish material ends of just one or two people has foisted this publicly funded money sink hole upon us. But think you might have it wrong when you make JT responsible for the loss of Ponga … JT would of course have had an input, but that decision would finally be taken by the coaching staff and of course the bean counters. Who knows, JT is no dill in these matters, he may have even argued to keep Ponga.

And fair enough, too … as probably you couldn’t, either. Modern clubs ask for loyalty – until they are ready to trade you for big dollars because of your talent. Talent, that’s the commodity, and the moneymen of this dying code believe loyalty is a one-way street, from player to club, but not vice versa.

I wasn’t blaming JT for the Cowboys losing Ponga to Newcastle. From what I’ve heard he and JT were good mates. Its the recruitment at the Cowboys that’s the problem. Too many small backs with just average talent.
And if the Knights could afford to pay for Ponga, why couldn’t the Cowboys. With JT retiring there was plenty of space in the salary cap.
Cowboys fans should brace themselves for this weekend’s game against the Melbourne Storm – too big, too quick, too talented.

10000 at 4.00 in the arvo on a hot day isn’t all that bad considering the vast majority at 1300 shithole will be sitting in and facing the hot sun and many will be away on school holidays so not overly surprising.

Speaking of “church going Christian man”. There is one particular church in Townsville where you are not allowed to sit in a pew for it is reserved for the churches main benefactor who is also allegedly a ‘pants man’

It is indeed impossible to calculate the innumerable harm that the math heads are doing. The damage they cause multiplies many existing social problems which will just lead to a clear division in modern society. Unfortunately only a small fraction of people seem to care. Perhaps it is time to raise it to a higher power to see if they can square it off and perhaps get to the root of the problem.

The current reported facts of this matter appear to point to the two little fellas didn’t have to perish in very tragic circumstances, they were not supervised by an adult around water/the river, the mother has been charged with being negligent and using/distributing drugs and ‘we read’ in the TB that child safety have had the family on their radar.

This has to run its course, the facts have to be substantiated and the court will make a decision. Until then we should not infer, suggest or ‘peddle’ anything!

Of course… and The ‘Pie presumes you are not suggesting he has done otherwise … his only suggestion was to highlight the latest outing of a serial media hound who styles herself an indigenous ‘elder’ and the paper calls a’leading human rights advocate’ (Good God!!). And the court will not make any determination regarding donations made by sympathetic members of the public … that is entirely up to Gracelyn Smallwood making public the legally required documentation of the distribution of the $25,000.

And while The ‘Pie’s opinion of Ms Smallwood is ambivalent at best, he is in NO WAY suggesting that she has done anything illegal or unethical on this side matter of a great tragedy. But she says she personally chose the conduit for the money because of the groups financial probity, she chose to make that public, so now she must carry this through to a logical – and calming, respectful – conclusion of making the documentation available for all to see, especially those donors reasonably wanting to know. Same principle that justice not only must be done, it must be seen to be done.

Some years ago my second wife worked advocating for indigenous children in foster care trying to find kinship caters for them . She was of let’s say highland birth. At a general meeting of the health “organisation” she worked for Grace stood and demanded to know why a non ‘Migaloo’ invader was advocating for “our” children while looking directly at her. The boss of the organisation said “sit down Grace, she cares more about our children than anyone else in the room.”
I personally have been on the receiving end of her tongue as a taxi driver because I took her sister to the police station for not paying her cab fare 25 years ago. Her bark is certainly scary when she’s in your face.

Re Ross River drowning – she’ll get off lightly as the battalions of taxpayer funded barristers, solicitors, psychologists and other social engineers and do-gooders will already be working out all of the usual reasons from poor upbringing and social disadvantage to deminished decision making capacity to get her charges decreased and to distract people from the real issues, Gracelyn Smallwood is already turning the issue from one that these people need to accept responsability for improving their lifestyles and actions to blaming the state government for the deaths. You watch, next will come the demand from Indgenous organizations and the social engineering mob for more money for programs which will never produce any real outcomes but only line the pockets of people working in those organisations.

WTF, so you’ve decided the woman is guilty of something simply because she’s been charged? Well, thanks, that’ll save the state a lot of money. That opening comment is beneath you, Critical, and in fact, highlights the one area where The ‘Pie agrees with Ms Smallwood. We need to wait for the official, properly instituted findings. And a glib glossing over of a complex and deeply rooted social problem is unproductive and reactive in the extreme. So it should be pointed out that if this woman turns out to have been responsible, and suffers a just penalty, she will have to handle the awful truth as she comes down from any drug dependency and it sinks in what she has done. That she’s indigenous is irrelevant, and becoming a sideline virtue-signalling barracker says more about the empty cruelty of the barracker than it does about her. It’s a bloody tragedy all round.

The rest of your comment is as it may be, although hardly enlightening us towards better outcomes … and buddy, that ‘social engineering’ mob you speak of are all WHITE politicians, interested in their own skins, regardless of its colour

I wish the TD Bulletin would start to report the news. I’m a Renal dialysis patient at the unit. I have complained to the hospital, my local member of Mundingburra, the member of Herbert about the lack of funding, chair space, staffing and lack of equipment (1 working blood pressure machine between 15 patients for nearly three years)
Last week we patients were all advised outlying units were closing and the hospital unit will be running extra shifts to cover patients coming in April. As a result no patient will get more than 4 hours treatment at a time regardless of clinical need. One patient tops the scales at nearly 190 kg and needs to remove about 50 kg (probably 6 months of treatments)of fluids accomplished by dialysis. He was on 5 hour runs up until last month. Now he is limited to 4 hours per run. Those who were on 4.5 and 5 hour runs last week are now on 4 hour runs. My charts say I’m supposed be be doing 5 hours. But 4 it is. Along with my three monthly review which was last carried out in May 2018. I wrote to the newspaper, I was interviewed over the phone. They said they had to speak with the chairman of the board. Then nothing. Big investigative reporting that led to the likes of the Fitzgerald Enquiry will never happen anymore. I always thought that it was the media’s job to keep the bastards honest. But seeing the adds taken out by all the politicians of every persuasion, even Clive half page adds and I can see why they don’t want to bite the hands that feed them now.

Have you approached the Bulletin (apart from this post, which they will now have read)? As you are probably aware, The ‘Pie hastaken on himself to keep the paper honest, but they can’t keep anyone honest if they don’t know about it. Now they do, let’s see what happens. Follow up with a complaint to them. Perhaps they may be able to get Hospital Chair Tony Mooney to explain the situation.

I wrote to the editor who in turn had a reporter call me Thursday 28 March after com-paining to the editor after having a cardiac review cancelled for the fourth time in two weeks. Seems letters to anyone aren’t worth the paper they are written on. I remember as a kid my recently passed grandmother if she had an issue with anything in this town she wrote a letter to Ollie Scott Young or Jack Wilson and things got done. Now the letters seem to be filed in the nearest bin or with email the bin icon. I’m done with writing the letters. No doubt euthanasia will be legalised shortly and that will be an alternative treatment offered to me to ease up the chair shortages.

NQBing, go Federal there is an election in the air and I don’t mean the Town Tool, go to the top. Both of them, Scomo and Short’un. Shirt front them even, next time they are in town, take a wheel chair or two, makes for good media.

Chappy and Bing, I don’t think this is a great time to try to make an impact with a federal politician. The operation of the hospital is definitely a state matter and it is the bread and butter of local state politicians to get answers on matters like this. Why not talk to your local member – even if their politics isn’t your cup of tea? You won’t be asked who you vote for – ever – but you might find that the staff in the office have incredible networks that can and will be put to good use. And you will get answers.

‘Pie, one reason might be that it can be intimidating trying to get personal attention from the Chair of the board (the system’s not set up to operate that way although I s’pose it’s not out of the question). But another reason to go to the local member is that they have set up their office/s with exactly that purpose in mind. You are invited to attend and they will advocate for you – even if, privately, you think they are wankers. Anyway, you are unlikely to meet and/or deal with the actual member in person. Far more likely to meet a member of staff who are trained, are discreet and do this sort of stuff every day.

So one trots of to the office of the LABOR member and talks to a LABOR Party-appointed assistant to criticise a Labor Party Health System operating in a Labor Government hospital chaired by a Labor Party heavy hitter and former Labor Mayor of Townsville – and that is a Health System forever in hot water over mismanagement of one kind or another. Dredger, you have just defined the old saying ‘Pissing into the wind.’

Dredging – Last time I rang my local member, I got attitude from a staff member, who couldn’t be bothered to stop chewing (wetly) when speaking to me. Rude cow. I made a polite, non-partisan enquiry about a matter that was of some interest to myself and my neighbours. Major brush-off. Never again.

Oh – did you just confirm your place of employment? The “-ever-” bit in you response sounds like a standard blurb for us droogs. How’s life under the folds of deepest red?

You were not wrong about the “Leading Citizen” playing hide the sausage with his staff member. You just forgot that there are many pants that were being pounced. That staff member was also married to a major player in Flinders St East Vomitorium and that affair was ongoing for several years. In addition the “Leading Citizen” played hide the sausage with the wife of the well known martial arts lad which is not good for your health that u alluded to. Maybe hide the sausage is part of the TEL Emerging Leaders curriculum.

Bonkarama is so apt. The infidelity of the “Leading Citizen” and his “Leading Mates” has been keeping the cities divorce lawyers very busy.

Today’s Bulletin has an election ad disguised as – well, actually, it is pretty shameless and there’s no attempt to disguise it at all.

Anyhows, it tells us that the Feds are investing in the Bruce Highway and there is a drone shot of some pretty impressive roadworks.

Can anyone guess where it is taken? If not for the sugarcane fields, I would say that it looks suspiciously like the second range crossing west of Toowoomba. The speedway in the left of the picture has me beat – I know of no speedway that looks similar that close to the Bruce Highway.

Hey Pie
Re: the scandal involving the prominent citizen and his family….
How anyone can think it good sport to plaster this as a laughing matter across these stupid pages is beyond me.
Tiny, tiny brains mate.

That family is at its lowest ebb and are copping it from all sides…and then along comes you, complete with all of your tired and pathetic grade-10-boy style double entendres, making their misery both worse and public.

Your details are wrong and your writing is silly.
Seriously…wrong and silly.

You started rubbish; got real poor towards the middle and should have hit delete instead of send when you finished.

I get that you could run with this sort of stupid mockery around your poker table on a Friday night with 3 or 4 other teenagers drinking VB through straws…
but to shine a smartass spotlight on a bunch of people ( many who are innocent) who never asked for their lives to be upended, nor asked for the attention surrounding their upended lives…
To be that bloke who held that spotlight takes a particular kind of smug.
You should retract and apologise and humble yourself and then vow to never contribute such stink to these pages again

CHRIST, KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN!!!! Shit, mate, who told you about The ‘Pie’s Friday night fun with 3 or 4 hot you … uh, teenagers? The ‘Pie could make a pathetic cheap play-on-words joke about ‘poker’ here, but won’t, as you’re likely to have a stroke … or two.

Anyway, a couple of small points to match yours … several of those involved have thanked The ‘Pie for outing the hypocrisy of the person NOT NAMED anywhere in this blog, they all know this wanker is in the Bulletin Protected Species zoo, and as such, despite community interest in his having sway over rules social imposed a particular group of young adults, he would never be outed in the paper.

Nor has The Pie named the bonkee, her forgiving hubby who but for the tricky situation, should be up on criminal charges of assault, no matter what the reason) or her business.

But keep the foam flecked lunacy coming in, mate … you clearly haven’t heard of the Streisand Effect … the more you try to hide something, the more time it remains in the public domain.

Douggie, if this blog is such a dark and dingy corner of the world, why are you here?
Do I agree with the Pie’s opinions on everything? No. Do I respect him for producing a weekly piece that keeps the bastards honest and accountable? Absolutely. You know the old saying, if you can’t stand the heat…

The ‘Pie usually doesn’t edit comments, but he’ll make an exception for you, because of your obvious delayed development, DT (those initials somehow sound appropriate). What you meant to say was quote: ” A bloke wrote what I thought was some rubbish, and I thought it was important that I say say that I thought it was rubbish’. Unquote.

You have now been allowed to say so several times, it has become tedious. FO.

NMD, read NQBing’s first post he has already been to the local state member, guess what, no luck. The feds are often the fall guy for the states on health matters and Short’un wants to put billions into cancer treatments so it’s not outside the realm of the feds to anti up for a couple of machines. What a PR opportunity for Clive or Adani also.
Now read the story below.

Thanks Chappy. Qld Health is the only State funded health system in Australia closing regional units forcing people to the coastal cities. Everyone seems to forget even with the recent additional beds t the TTH it is still less beds than there was when there was the North Ward and Kirwan campus. Even today after being reviewed by the nephrologist yesterday he ordered my treatments to be increased to 5 hours. The units response when I got in this morning ? So sorry it doesn’t fit in with the new three shift 4 hour run rotation. Can’t be done.” Apparently it’s not the units job or desire to treat patients according to doctors ordered clinical needs.

It’s a News Corpse thing … this time both the Gold Coast Bulletin and the Courier Mail suggest that the police may not, yet again, be telling the truth about certain matters.

Allegedly? Why, FFS? In matters of plain English, this use of alleged means there is some doubt over the police information that someone was shot in the head … and simply saying so can NEVER be legally challengeable. Not only is the use here, and in regular other instances, redundant it is also wrong and accusatory.

If you say something is ‘alleged’, someone has to be saying it, and by simple rules of language, you are casting doubt on not just the ‘alleged’ fact, but the person who told you. It means you’re not taking their word for it. But one imagines the average plod knows the difference between the head – where this fellow was blasted – and the foot – where the Courier shot itself.

But The ‘Pie does not allege that News Corpse training standards nowadays are complete shit … he is stating it as a self-evident fact.

The ‘Pie’s point, though, A, is that allegedly is seen as acting as a legal safeguard … it sometimes does, but with the changing legal landscape, it is often irrelevant. However, particularly at lazy, sloppy, ill-trained News Corpse, it is just thrown in at a comical rate, without any understanding of its actual meaning let alone original purpose in news stories.

To highlight that point, taker another look … the headline says one thing (no alleged), the explanation lime immediately following drops in alleged.

Truly, this lot couldn’t find their own arse with a mirror and two hands … even if we threw a flashlight.

As a born and bred Aussie citizen who is well above the voting age I was totally appalled today when driving down Fulham Rd where the Pimlico TAFE is situated and saw 4 flagpoles one had the Australian flag, 3 flags one was QLD, the next on was the indigenous flag the other the New Guinea flag I think, guess where the Aussie flag was, upside down and close to the ground, symbolic of all is lost, obviously saying the Feds have cut their funding. This behaviour is close to treason.

I’m with you, Ot. The Australian flag should be up the top, whatever way up it is. Do you think we should send Border Force or the CWA around to the Pimlico TAFE (whatever that is since you-know-who dismembered it) to thrash someone for their incompetence and stupidity?

Tosswomble , I believe the pie coined the term in order to point out it follows, as the song goes “common are we”

In this respect I accuse you of being an imposter and provocateur. Whilst we have hairy nosed wombats , a womble cannot be a wombat. One can identify as a wombat but does it not make you one .And no , you cant put it on your drivers lisence and legally you cant be put on the ballot unless you get on your knees and say your name is “Meow meow ! the confused tosswomble with wombat issue!”

To be be a tosser and a womble and claiming to speak on behalf of wombats is cultural appropriation . In fact , a wily wombat would report you as not being fit to have a blue card cos you are a tosswomble that hangs out at the common , which just happens to be over the road at Palleranda .

Ah, you have a point Mixie, except I was on a cultural exchange to the UK in earlier days, where I found myself living in Wimbledon Common. I was adopted by a group of Wombles and found myself an honorary member of the tribe. Because I was smaller than them, I was used in drunken games of footy as the ball. Hence my name. Badge of honour I take it as.

Us Wombats use Google for all information. We never, ever trust Government information. We have not done so since the Great Emu War of 1932.

“It should always be flown aloft and free. To fly a flag upside down is a signal of distress. The Australian National Flag should not, therefore, be displayed with the Union Jack down on any occasion except as a signal of distress.”

Used to read this blog to understand some of the important issues and concerns about Townsville and its leaders that were not covered by the local media.
You seem to have degenerated over the past couple of weeks into “nudge, wink, snigger” stories that would be more suited to New Idea or adolescent boys.
So much going on with Federal election issues, and you scrape the bottom of the barrel instead?
Pity, Pie. Lift your game or become irrelevant.

Insider, one does wonder if you’d feel the same way if ‘leading citizen’ had played a game of hide the sausage on the TEL desk with your your blushing bride? I for one doff my hat to the Pie for exposing serial pantsman, raising the bar (sorry couldn’t help myself) for the rest of the Nescafe Society of Townsville.

Interesting comment, Insider, but what The ‘Pie doesn’t get is the some folks assuming the right of drawing of boundaries concerning subject matter on a blog where, may the old bird humbly add, there is only one shot caller (although he does listen to voices of reason on the rare occasions they occur.)

Folks who feel that way have only two rights around here …. skip over the bits that do not meet your selective high moral standards and read the rest … or don’t bother reading any of it at all. Feel free to exercise your rights at anytime, folks.

The Motel Owners on Bowen road calling out for help because they are paying $926 per pedestal toilet tax ( $50,000 a year for some) including some closed and others still flood effected . A reflection of the disconnect between the Council and Small Business in this town and who ever the Councillor is should get down and talk to the Motels if Mayor Mullet let’s them . Shari Tagliabue again highlighted cbd woes in her Saturday column .

Sensible suggestions, though. But one thing she didn’t touch on, which should bother anyone like The ‘Pie who loves what Townsville could be, is the devastating effect in this social media age that Flinders street has on visitors from the much ballyhooed cruise ships during stop-overs. These cashed up folk, here only long enough to get a first and lasting impression of the place, are confronted with the glum, forlorn sight of the old mall area of Flinders Street, with it’s glaring empty eye-sockets of For Lease shopfronts, and the closed entertainment strip that looks tatty and uninviting when closed during the day (and with its overbearing door goons, smelly interiors, and candy-off-a-baby gouging booze prices, much the same at night).

At least Tagliabue put forward a starting point for debate about what should be done … something has to happen, and it ain’t a bus hub and it ain’t a white elephant stadium. Agitating for an arts, convention, entertainment hub would be a sensible move, as it should’ve been in the first place … everyone could make some dough and offer jobs then.

An example of a very common problem nowadays in both spoken and written English of confusing subject pronouns and object pronouns in a sentence with two receivers.

English speakers who are faced with two people in the object position in a sentence often grab for the phrase “someone and I” because they think it sounds more polite and they do not realise the phrase is grammatically incorrect. Also people often correct children who use “me” instead of “I” so much, the children grow up using “I” even when it is wrong.

Which gives The ‘Pie the opportunity to retell his favourite sporting joke … which is true because he saw it, when as a teenager he was briefly living in the Melbourne suburb of Auburn at the time, deep Hawthorn Hawks territory, where legendary full forward goalkicker Peter Hudson was breaking all sorts of records. Some bible bashing mob took out a large billboard near Camberwell Junction asking the question”What would you do if Jesus came to Hawthorn today?’ …. someone quickly answered with the graffiti ‘Move Peter Hudson to centre half forward’

Interesting reaction to the bonking city leader story.
So far I’ve heard of 4 “city leaders” who are under suspicion, including an accountant and the boss of a very big business.
Suggest all wives check to see if their hubby has an office table with a padded top.

The ‘Pie had an hilarious inquiry from an ex-Townsvillean after the weekend blog, where the quote which featured the quote ‘oh what a tangled web we weave’ was featured. He guessed it was all about Brad Webb!!!!

The Magpie can definitively state that Brad Webb, to the best of his knowledge, is the straightest of straight arrows in this town … and their ain’t too many of them. And no, the matter does not concern him in the least. He’d be the last cab off the rank in this race to the bottom.

If we all find and stalk at least 3 people with Turretts, sneak up behind them at night and yell “TOSSWOMBLE” at the top of our lungs, whilst giving them a dig in the ribs , by the time their next support meeting comes around it will have gone as viral as an anti vaxxers clap .

Isn’t one of the tell-tale symptoms of Tourette’s is the inability to spell special medical terms? Or do you mean people like those 17th century German aristocracy who had so many castle turrets they yelled obscenities when they got stonemason’s bill?

“Construction will start on Australia’s biggest lithium ion battery plant in Townsville next year if an Australian-led consortium secures debt funding when it completes a feasibility study at the end of September.”

What are the Three Stooges doing in the wake of the latest episode of rampant juvenile crime in which those kids caused themselves serious injury and property damage. Well, Harpic was available for a free feed at Brothers Leagues club. We, the taxpayer tasked General Ignorance with a solution to our local juvenile crime issue. FAIL. After his investigation the Three Stooges continued on the line that there wasn’t a problem. Fuck me, are they that arrogant or just so stupid that they believe the community is going to believe them. The stats of the crime rate has gained national attention due to the recent vehicle rollover. These three peanuts will hide and hope it blows over. They have failed ultimately in their primary responsibility of representing and advocating for their electorate. FAIL FAIL FAIL !!!

The mother of the two little boys who drowned in the river has been charged, the deaths deemed preventable. The joy riding and rollover also preventable with responsible parenting. Will the parents be charged?

Dutchy, this is an insult to the original three stooges, Curly, Larry and Mo, who did more for mankind in one TV episode than the three ALP state Townsville based ‘members’ have done in nearly two terms!

So “ Townsvilles voice in Canberra “ Cathy Otooles words, has been gagged by Labor Headquarters about speaking about Adani . Cathy Otoole withdrew from a promised interview with the Australian yesterday . Perhaps a new slogan for Cathy “ Labor’s puppet in Herbert “ .

Err Mike, she’s always been the puppet of the ALP and Mista Shorten. Her lips don’t move unless she’s given the ok by the ALP. Nothing new here, but now the electorate have a chance to send her packing!

An interesting peek into Cathy The Tool O’Tooles priorities in today’s Astonisher. She has accepted that the Federal approval of the Adani mine is a fait accompli, and Labor will not overturn that decision not because it is the right outcome for Townsville, but because it would cost the country unthinkable amounts of sovereign risk money in compensation if they did. That argument hardly makes her the flag bearer for local jobs, but that is as it may be … what most interested The ‘Pie was a side issue where she has strangely muddled priorities or she is glibly lying. Or a complete political dunce (Heaven forfend!!)

As the article pointed out, Coalition politicians seized on an article in The Australian that claimed Ms O’Toole had hung up on a journalist when asked about the Adani mine.

Ms O’Toole rubbished the article as “fictitious” and said she had simply passed her phone to a media advisor because she needed to rush into a pre-scheduled meeting.
So let’s, as Leigh Sales is so fond of saying, unpack this.

1. The Tool is the member for Herbert with a tissue thin 37 vote majority.

2. Herbert is one of the four or five Qld seats Labor must retain to crowbar The Short Un into the Lodge.

3. Knowing this, The Tool is talking to one of the more believable and influential newspaper in the country, which will one way or another have a great influence on the election outcome.

4. But when asked about Adani, she suddenly drops off the call, she says handing it to a media adviser because she had to rush into a pre-scheduled meeting.

So a member hanging on to a vital seat by her fingernails deems it more important to be on time at a meeting – any meeting – than continue to conduct an interview with one of the big election influencers?

One hell of a judgement call … pull the other one, Kathy, it yodels. Sounds like the first of many panic attacks and bad calls for you in the next five weeks.

You’re a worry, NMD … consider what The ‘Pie said again ‘one way or the other’. Given your not unreasonable point of a possible coalition loss, wouldn’t there be many people voting against the Coalition simply because of the Murdoch bias. Influence works both ways. For instance, could not your own uncompromising ‘no consensus’ standpoint perhaps sway people against voting Labor heh heh heh.

Don’t worry Pie. Local back room labor hacks have been going through the Astonisher funeral notices the last 3 months and compiling a list.
They are going to be busy on Election Day, along with ‘vote early, vote often’ ethos.
Got to improve on the 37 votes from last time.

With hundreds of billions of dollars passing across the desks of government in Australia’s biggest business , electoral fraud has never been more critical to win and take control of that money and its spending. The more organised the electoral fraud team, the more likely you win. A little pain to control a country, state or council is worth it.

What’s the Tool’s stance on the fuckwit Vegans who terrorize the farmers. After all they are the reason she is in Parliament with preferences and earning a pretty packet for doing fuck all.
I’m hoping they conduct a peaceful protest at Winx’s last race this Saturday. The racing crowd will ensure it turns to anything but peaceful.

LOL, departing from my self imposed restriction on only commenting local sorry Pie I have a soft spot for Bob. Till they moved the electoral boundaries I was in Kennedy. As for Bob, have been on the the same flights down to Brisbane with him more than once. At least he sits in cattle class and engages with people which is more than I can say for say people likes of Mike Reynolds & sundry who I saw many times but had that air of arrogance and was always in business class.

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